Chapter 2 - THE ELEVEN-MINUTE WARNING
The front gates locked before I reached them.
I carried Maya through the side corridor while Harrison guided me through the encrypted device.
“Service exit near the kitchen,” he said. “Do not use Julian’s car.”
Behind us, Victoria screamed that I had assaulted her. Victor ordered the guests to remain inside. Genevieve shouted for someone to stop me.
Julian followed without running.
“Eleanor, wait.”
I kept moving.
Maya’s cheek burned against my neck.
“You let her hit Maya.”
“I didn’t know Genevieve would do that.”
“You knew something would happen.”
He looked at the device in my hand.
“Give me that before you make this worse.”
The kitchen door opened before I touched it.
A man in a dark suit stepped inside and identified himself as Harrison Cole. I had not seen him in seven years, yet I recognized the scar beside his right eye.
Two private medical officers entered behind him.
Julian stopped.
“You cannot bring armed men into my family’s home.”
Harrison’s gaze moved to Maya’s face.
“You should be more concerned about who struck a child.”
Police and paramedics arrived minutes later.
Statements were taken separately. Maya was examined inside the ambulance. Her jaw was not fractured, but the physician wanted pediatric evaluation.
Victoria claimed I attacked without provocation.
Genevieve called Maya violent.
The guests’ videos began only after I slapped Victoria.
Then one officer found a small camera hidden inside the chandelier.
Victor said it belonged to the home-security system.
Its recording had been remotely erased.
At the hospital, Maya asked why her father had not helped.
I had no answer gentle enough to give her.
Julian sent twelve messages.
The thirteenth contained no apology.
Return the device before your father’s people misunderstand what happened.
I showed Harrison.
He did not explain why Julian knew the device mattered.
Instead, he opened a secure activity log.
May you like
An access request had been sent from inside the Vance mansion eleven minutes before I broke the bracelet.
The request carried Julian’s personal authentication code.
